MAY GREENE TEACHERS LEARN TO TEACK SOCIAL SKILLS

Principal Barb Kohlfeld wants her students at May Greene Elementary School to be somebody -- somebody successful.

She has learned that the best way to become successful is to develop good social skills. So Kohlfeld and 25 teachers at the school are learning how to teach social skills to their students this fall.

Most people are hired for a job or fired from a job partially because of their social skills, Kohlfeld said. "We want them to be successful in the future and be employed and be a benefit to society."

A team of instructors from the training center at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home and Boys Town led a three-day social-skills seminar at the school. It concluded Wednesday. It was funded by the Community Caring Council and Caring Communities project at the school.

"It will be a huge difference in the classroom," Kohlfeld said. "You don't react, you respond."

When a student refuses to follow instructions, a teacher must correct the inappropriate behavior in some way. Using the Boys Town model can mean the difference between spending time on academic skills or correcting problem behavior in a classroom.

"They're already addressing the behavior in some form," said Jennifer Buth, an assistant coordinator on the team.

The model shows how to teach social skills, which range from how to follow instructions or give criticism to disagreeing appropriately. The model outlines the steps for teaching each skill but incorporates encouragement and praise.

Teachers empathize with the student, explain the incorrect behavior, offer suggestions for change, ask the student to practice the correct behavior and offer encouragement.

"You actively teach rather than reprimand," Kohlfeld said, explaining that more students learn by practice than lecture. "It's very proactive. You practice the same way you teach multiplication."

The teachers got a chance to practice the model during a role-playing section of the seminar. Some teachers reversed their roles as classroom leaders to class clowns or disruptive students so they could understand the process. But most agreed it would be easier to use the model in a specific situation.

The model isn't designed to address every negative behavior teachers see. It can also be used to teach classroom manners.

One of the most popular skills is teaching a child to get the teacher's attention.

"In early elementary, it's the first thing they want to teach," said Scott Fouts, a team coordinator. "And you can see immediate results."

The model is just an extra tool to help the teachers, Buth said. It was developed in 1917 by Father Flanagan's Boys' Home.

SOCIAL SKILLS

-- Following instructions.

-- Accepting criticism or a consequence.

-- Accepting `No' for an answer.

-- Greeting others.

-- Getting the teacher's attention.

-- Making a request.

-- Disagreeing appropriately.

-- Giving criticism.

-- Resisting peer pressure.

-- Making an apology.

--Talking with others.

-- Giving compliments.

-- Accepting compliments.

-- Volunteering.

-- Reporting other youths' behavior.

-- Introducing yourself.